With voting day in Indonesia's presidential election, which is said to be the world's largest direct election, just three days away, the latest opinion polls show that Defense Minister Prabowo, who has declared himself the successor to incumbent President Joko Widodo, has a large lead.
However, concerns are being raised about the regression of democracy due to past human rights violations and the history of the pairing of vice-presidential candidates.
The presidential election in Indonesia, which has the largest population and economy in Southeast Asia, is a three-way battle, with Defense Minister Prabowo, former Jakarta Governor Anis, and former Central Java Governor Ganjar running as candidates.
Incumbent President Joko Widodo is not allowed to run for a third term and is expected to step down.
On the 10th, the final day of the election campaign, each of the three candidates held large-scale rallies in the capital Jakarta and other provinces to appeal to voters for their support.
One of the issues in the election campaign is whether to continue the policies of the Joko Joko administration or reform them, and the latest opinion polls show that Defense Minister Prabowo, who has declared himself President Joko Joko's successor, has an approval rating of over 50%, and other There is a wide gap between the two candidates.
However, regarding Mr. Prabowo, he
was involved in the abduction of a democratic activist in the late 1990s when he was a senior military official, and it can be said that the judicial system was
not transparent when it came to fielding President Joko Widodo's eldest son as his partner's vice-presidential candidate. Because of this decision,
there are voices among the people who are concerned about the regression of democracy.
Voting will take place three days later, on the 14th of this month, and the votes will be counted on the same day. However, if no candidate wins a majority, a run-off election between the top two candidates will be held this June. .
About Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto is 72 years old.
After a career as an army officer, he married former President Suharto's second daughter and supported the autocratic Suharto regime as the top military official.
At the end of his administration, he was stripped of his military status for his involvement in the abduction of democratic activists, but he used the connections he had cultivated during his military days to lead a huge group of companies and become a successful manager. I did.
In 2008, he formed his own political party.
He ran in the past two presidential elections, in 2014 and 2019, but lost in close races to President Widodo Widodo.
After his last election, he was welcomed by President Widodo Widodo as defense minister as he sought to strengthen the foundations of his government, strengthening their relationship and supporting his second term in government.
This is his third candidacy, and he calls himself President Joko Widodo's successor, calling for the continuation of the policies set forth by the Joko administration, such as relocating the capital and improving infrastructure.
In addition, President Joko Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo and a 36-year-old local mayor, has been chosen as his running mate, in an effort to capture the popularity of President Joko Widodo, who maintains a high approval rating.
Furthermore, he is running a campaign that emphasizes his friendliness, eschewing the image of a strong leader he had projected in past elections.
A video of Mr. Prabowo dancing comically has been spread on social media with comments such as ``cute,'' and he is trying to increase his support from the younger generation under 40, who make up more than half of voters, and the latest opinion poll shows that his approval rating is low. With over 50%, he is far ahead of the other two candidates.
About Vice Presidential Candidate Ghibran, who is paired with Prabowo
Gibran Rakabumin Raka, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo and the vice-presidential candidate who partnered with Prabowo, is 36 years old.
For the past three years, he has been serving as mayor of his hometown of Surakarta in Central Java, where his father, President Joko Widodo, also served as mayor.
Regarding Mr. Gibran's candidacy, there was a decision by the Constitutional Court that could be described as unclear.
In Indonesia, the law stipulates that anyone over the age of 40 can run for president and vice president, but a few days before Mr. Gibran's candidacy was announced, the Constitutional Court ruled that ``If you have experience as a local government head, you must be under 40 years old.'' However, he made the decision that he could run for office. Furthermore, since the president of the Constitutional Court was the husband of President Joko Widodo's sister and Gibran's uncle, some university professors and human rights groups criticized the decision as ``a decision based on nepotism.'' .
Although the director was subsequently dismissed for serious violations of ethics and codes of conduct, the decision itself was not overturned.
It has been reported that these moves are an attempt by President Joko Widodo to maintain his own political influence even after he retires, and other candidates' camps say, ``Politics is being privatized by President Joko Widodo's family, and democracy is There was a series of criticisms, such as, ``This poses a threat to the government.''
Some say that Mr. Prabowo is not suitable as a candidate.
There are also voices saying that Mr. Prabowo is not suitable as a candidate for the presidential election due to his involvement in the abduction of a democratic activist in the past.
In the late 1990s, at the end of the Suharto regime, when democratic activists who were increasingly critical of the regime were abducted one after another, Mr. Prabowo, who was the commander of the military's special forces at the time, was involved in the incidents, including giving instructions to the troops. After being questioned about his involvement in the incident, he was stripped of his military status.
Local human rights groups say that of the at least 22 activists and students believed to have been abducted, the whereabouts of 13 are still unknown, and every week they display photos of former military leaders, including Prabowo, in front of the presidential palace. We are holding protest rallies demanding an investigation into the truth.
Petrus Haryanto, who himself was abducted but was able to return alive, said, ``I feel deep disappointment and anger that Indonesian politics continue to allow Mr. Prabowo to run for president.'' If he gains power, the future of democracy will be bleak."
Prabowo was asked about the incident by other candidates during the presidential election debate, but he said, ``I firmly protect human rights. Why are you the only one asking about the missing people? "There is," he argues.
Expert “President Joko Widodo is behind the backsliding of democracy”
Regarding this situation, Professor Jun Honna of Ritsumeikan University, who specializes in Indonesian politics, said, ``It is a regression of democracy,'' and said that behind this situation, there are attempts to reduce democracy to a mere facade backed by high approval ratings. It is pointed out that there is the existence of the current President Joko Widodo.
Professor Honna points to concrete examples of this, including the
successive arrests of activists who are increasingly critical of infrastructure projects being advanced under the Joko Widodo administration,
and the weakening of the authority of independent institutions responsible for investigating corruption of politicians and civil servants. ``What has been happening in Indonesia over the past 10 years is that the Joko Widodo administration, which was built on the popularity of the people, has gradually undermined the values of democracy.''
He added that if Mr. Prabowo, who advocates for the succession of the Joko Joko administration and self-appoints himself as his successor, becomes president, ``if he wins the election, he will be able to do anything as a legitimate leader.'' It is also expected that democratic backsliding will become more entrenched."